Stamp-affixing machine.



L. M. MULET. sAMP Amxmc MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.20. 1916.

Patentd- Apr. 2, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I )MAW L. M. MULET.

STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20. |916.

1,261,595. 1 Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. M. MULET.

snmp Amxmc mAcmNE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT20| |915. 1 ,261,595. Patented Apr. 2,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SE'PLZO. 1916.

Patented Apr. 2,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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LORENZO M. MULET, 0F SAN JUAN, PORTO RICO, SSIGNOR TO PORTO RICAN AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

STAMP-AFFIXING MACHINE.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr.' 2, 191e;

Application filed September 20, 1916. Serial No. 121,209.

To all whoml z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, LORENZO M. MULET, a citizen of Porto Rico, residing at San Juan, lorto Rico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Alixing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for atlixing stamps, labels or the like to packages and containers, and has particular application to mechanism through the agency of which revenue stamps may be rapidly, conveniently, securely and economicall -applied to packages or receptacles containing manufactured tobacco products, such as smoking and chewing tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and similar articles.

ln the present instance I have shown, merely by way of illustration, my invention as employed in connection with the application of revenue stamps to small packages, such as those. of the form in which cigarettes are usually marketed, and furthermore, I have shown my mechanism as in the nature of a gang machine capable of simultaneously applying a plurality of stamps to a plurality of packages, but I Wish it to be understood that it is not limited in its useful application to aiiixing stamps or labels to this particular class of packages, nor is it confined to a gang machine, but in some aspects may be embodied in a single unit machine operating "upon but one package and one stamp at a time.

(lne object of the invention is the provision of a machine wherein the packages are delivered or placed in juxtaposition to a pneumatic stamp selecting and ahxing device which operates to select a stamp and apply the same to an exposed face or faces of the package, said package so stamped being subsequently conveyed to a suitable point of discharge.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine wherein a plurality of packages are sumultaneously conveyed into thc zone of operation of certain mechanism which selects a plurality of stamps, carries such stamps to suitable paste supplying devices, thereby causing the stamps to receive adhesive coatings, and subsequently assists in the application of the stamps to exposed faces of the adjacent packages, the construction being such that a plurality of stamps may be simultaneously and properly applied to a plurality of packages, thereby attaining a relatively great savlng in time, labor and resulting cost when compared with the stamp-aflixin operation as performed by other machmes heretofore used, and with which I am acquainted.

Still a further object of the invention is the provision of a stamp-aliixing machine embracing, among other features, a movable, preferably rocking, suction head which is adapted, through the inuence of exerted suction, to pick a stamp from a pile or stack oflthe latter stored in a magazine and carry such stamp to a position to have one face thereof rendered adhesive, the suction head then in the course of its subsequent travel bodily changing or rocking from its position relative to a coperatmg part so that one end portion of the stamp is freed or detached to such an extent that when the suction head reaches the package to which the stamp is to be aiiixed, such free end of the latter will be projected into the path of the moving package and in position to be engaged by an end Wall ofthe latter and adhesively secured thereto. The remainder or major portion of the stamp is now pasted down by the suction head against an adjacent Wall of the package, which is at right angles to the end wall, the suction on the head being cut oft' or released duringthe aiiixing of the stamp, after which the head moves or rocks back to its normal stampreceiving position.

. Furthermore, I propose to provide a stamp-afiixing machine which will embody the desired features of simplicity, efficiency and reliability coupled with economy in the cost of production and operation.

W' ith the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view, my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Figure 1, is a vert-ical, longitudinal sectional view taken through a machine embodying my invention, certain of the parts being shown in elevation. j

Fig. 2, is a view in side elevation of a portion of the machine.

Fig. 3. is a top plan view, certain parts of the machine at the receiving and delivery ends being omitted.

Fig. 4, is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation.

Q v 4 Leonesa Fig. 5, is a View partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, on an enlarged scale and showing the pneumatic stamp Separating and aiixing device, and the parts of the machine immediately adjacent thereto and cooperating therewit Fig. 6, is an enlarged detail view partly in section and partly in elevation and illustrating the application of a stamp to a package.

Fig. 7, package. 1

Before entering into a detailed description of my invention I will briefly state that I have illustrated herein a multiple or gang machine which is capable of simultaneously operating upon and aiiixing stamps to siX packages, although it will of course be appreciated that the 'machine may be constructed in its multiple form to simultaneously aiix stamps to a desired number of packages. In order to clearly understand the invention, I will describe the cycleof operationof one unit of this multiple machine'.

In the preferred form shown herein an endless conveyer is employed which receives the packages in spaced relation from a suitable hopper or receptacle in which such packagesyare stacked. The conveyer, in the course of its travel, carries the spaced packages into position to be operated upon by a suctionstamp selecting and aflixing device. In the form shown herein this device includes a rotary intermittently operating spider carrying suction .heads at the ends of its arms,and above the suction device is mounted a reciprocating stamp-carrying magazine. Suitable valve mechanism operating at timely periods is employed for applying and removing the suction from the heads. As the rotary suction device revolves and a suction head thereof comes beneath the stampmagazine the latter is at such time in its depressed position, and suction being applied to the head, a stamp is selected or Withdrawn from the pile of stamps within the magazine. With the suction still maintained, rotary movement is imparted to the device and the suction head brings the outer face of the stamp into contact with a suitable adhesive-applying device by means of which an adhesive, such as paste, glue or the like, is applied to the eX- posed face of the stamp. As the suction device continues its travel, moving downward toward the bed of the machine, through a suitable cam arrangement, a rocking motion is imparted to the suction head and the latter is shifted or rocked relative to the socket bearing in which the head is seated at one end. This rocking move'- ment of the head relative to its bearing causes the lower end of the stamp, which normally contacts with the outer face of the is a perspective view of the stamped tachment or freeing of t e of the stamp of the freed en socket bearing of the head, and is therefore not subject to suction, to be detached or freed and moved slightl outward,'this de,

stamp being further assisted by a small scraping device, as will be understood by the dotted line illustration appearing in Fig. 6. After the end has thus been freed or detached, such depending stamp end is brought by the suction head into position to project downward into the path of the oncoming packa e so that the adhesive face of the stamp will contact with the forward end of the package. A small ironing device in the nature of a trip plate or finger now presses the end of the stamp against the end of the package, While the major or remaining p ortion of the stamp is folded downand a Xed to the top faceA of the package by the suction head in its travel, the suction at this moment being cut off or removed from the head to release the stamp. As the spider continues'its rotation, the suction head, which has just released and aiiixed the stamp, is restored to its normal position ready to receive and select another stamp by the cam motion herein described. The package with the stamp now affixed continues its travel land the portion of the stamp overlying the top face of the package is brought beneath a suitable presser roller and securely pressed or affixed to the package. The conveyer now carries the stamped package to a suitable point of disi charge. I might further mention at this point that as the stamped package is carried by the conveyer into position to have the end thereof affixed by the ironing device, the latter having completed this operation,4 is pushed out of the path of the moving package by a suitable cam arrangemenhaml after the packagehas passed to the presserl roller, such ironing device is restored to normal operative position in the path of the neXt oncoming package by suitable means, in the present instance a weight.

It is of course tov be understood that the various power transmitting connections and operating devices are so proportionedv and timed in `their relative movements that the various operations will take place in `Jthe order described. V

Referring now .A to the accompanying drawings in detail wherein I' have indicated certain major mechanisms of the maico chine as an entirety by letters, thev letter A e designates the frame of the machine, B the conveyer, C the hopper or receptacle for the packages P; the magazine for the stamps is shown at D, the suction stampselecting and aiiiXing devices at E, the paste applying mechanism at F, the ironing device for afiixing the stamp to the end of the package is illustrated at G, while H indicates the presser mechanism for pressing down the major portion of the stamp onto the package after it has passed the suction devices and the ironing device.

The power shaft is shown at l and is geared to and drives the sprocket shaft 2 of the eenveyer. On this sprocket shaft is mounted in spaced relation a pair of sprocket wheels 55 forming a part of the conveyor, while 'a similar pan' of sprocket wheels 4- is mounted ona shaft 5 at the opposite end of the frame and beneath the bed of the latter. Over these two pairs of sprockets travels a. pair ot' endless chains 6 carrying the cross slats 7 spaced suitable distances apart, as shown in Fig. 5, each cross slat havinr pivotally connected therevwith as at 8 a plurality of angular package pushers or dogs 9, in the present instance each slat 7 carrying three of these pushers, each pusher Atravelin r in a uideway 10 eX- tending longitudinal y of t e frame, there being in the present machine six of these longitudinally extending,r parallel guideways which are formed by the angle I-bars 11. Mounted on the frame is the package hopper or receptacle C, which in the present in-v stance is divided into six compartments, one of which 1s shown at c, and in each compartment 1s arranged a stack of packages.

These packages feed by gravity and each,

compartment opens into the guideway 10 directly therebeneath so that as soon as one package is engaged by a pusher and carried forward on its guideway, another package will drop onto the guideway by gravity, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1. Thus as the conveyer is driven the packages are carried one at a time and in spaced relation to the particular stamp aftixing unit intended to act thereon. The stamps to be applied to the packages are shown at S, and are contained in the mavazine l) of any suitable shape, but preferably of approximately rectangular or box-like form and open at the top and bottom, suitable spring arms 12 having slight terminal hooks 13 at the free ends thereof projecting through slots 14 in the walls of the magazine and engaging the bottom of the pile of stamps for the purpose of holding the latter in position against accidental feed from the magazine. Each stamp magazine D is intended to be swung up and down, and is elevated and lowered through any suitable mecha ni sm. In the present instance the arm 15 supporting the magazine is mounted to rock upon the shaft 16, the extension 17 of cach magazine arm being loosely connected through a turn-buckle link 18 with an arm 19 carried b the rock shaft 20; this last named shaftV eing rocked through the lever arm 21 connected by the link 22 with one end olf the bell crank lever 23, the opposite end of'said lever carrying the cam roller 24 Working on the cam 25 carried by the counter-shaft 26 as is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The result is through the cam wheel and 'the intermediate connections just described, the magazine D will be given a swinging or rocking up and down movelnent, as shown by the full and dotted lines in Fig, 5. The counter-shaft, 26 is driven through the gear 27 and worm gear 28, the latter being on the Inain shaft 2S), which runs longitudinally of one side of the frame of the machine and is driven through the Worm gear 30 meshing with the gear wheel 31 on the power shaft. Each of the reciprocating magazines D is located directly above and coperates with one of the stamp selecting and allixin devices E, the construction of which lgwill now proceed to describe in detail.

In' the present instance there are of course six of these suction devices E arranged in a transverse row across the machine, one beneath each stamp magazine. Each suction device includes a spider 32 provided with four radial arms 33, each of these arms havin r a suction duct 34 extending longitudina ly thereof from end to end and communicating through the hub 35 of the spider with the common tubular suction shaft 36 having suction 'bores 37 alining with the suction ducts of the spider arms. Suction is exerted through lthis common shaft 36 in any suitable manner, such as a suction pump which may be connected with the end 38 of this shaft. The tubular suction shaft 36 revolves in suitable bearings 39 on the frame of the machine, and 'the hub sections of the spider, and which hub sections may be continuous, are sleeved upon and connected to the tubular shaft 36 so as to revolve therewith. The common tubular suction shaft 36 is driven from'the counter-shaft 26 through a gear 40 meshing with a gear 41 on a shaft 42, and which shaft carries a mutilatedor intermittent pinion 43 meshing with an intermittent gear 44 fast with the end of the tubular suction shaft 36. The object of the intermittent motion thus obtained is to combine the time of receiving the stamp,

the paste, and the application of the stamp to the package when the suction is cut ofi. The cutting oft' of the suction between the tubular suction shaft 36 and the suction ducts 34 in the arms 33 is accomplished by the semi-cylindrical valve 45 sleeved b v the shaft 36, this valve being turned to its on and ofi' positions by means of a pinion 46 on one' end of the valve operated through the segment 47 carried by the arm 48 which is pivoted at 49 to the frame of the machine. This arm, as will be seen by reference to F ig. 2, carries a cam roller 50 which is normally held in contact with the cam 51 by means of the spring 52 drawing down on the arm. This cam 51 for operating the segment arm is also carried by and rotates with the vtransversely alining armsV of the because lat the end of each suction pipe 53 is a cam block 54 traveling in the groove 55 inthe large stationary cam 56, and these pipes are thus adapted to correspondingly rock or turn the stamp carrying suction heads 57 for the purpose to be hereinafter t described. 1t is to be understood that each of these four suction pipes 53 lis provided with apertures alining with the suction ducts 34 in the spider arms 33 carrying such suction pipes 53, this of course bein to allow suction to be exerted through t ese ipes 53, the communicating perforations eing shown at 58. Each suction head 57 is in the nature of a segmental block 59 having a longitudinal suction bore 60 communicating with an aperture 61 in the pipe .53 on which the head is made fast, a series of small transverse suction jets 62 affording communication between the bore 60 and the atmosphere.

i The heel 63 of each suction head isV adapted fao Fig. 6, that is to say,

to r'ock in a socket 64 of the bearing bar 65. lnasmuch as the suction head is fast with the ipe 53 and rocks therewith in its socket caring, it will, when in position for selecting a stamp and for bringing the stamp into contact with the pasting device, as well as after it has applied the stamp to the package, occupy the relative position shown in with its outer curved stamp contacting ace lying substantially flush with the face 66 of the adjacent portion of the socket bearing. When, however,

such suction head is traveling with a stamp in an arc between the pasting device and the package in the guideways this head will, under the action of the grooved 'cam 56, be gradually rocked or turned in its socket so that it is moved to take a position nearly in parallelism with the adjacent spider arm,

instead of at right angles to the arm, and consequently the end portion of the stamp which lies against the outer face of the socket bearing will be radually moved away from this bearing, an this separating movement of the end of the stamp is further assisted by a small stripping block 67 mounted on the guideways adjacent the path of the traveling suction heads, the action ofthe block in stripping the end of the stamp bein indicated in Fig. 5. The result is that a er the suction head carrying the stamp passes this block the end s1 of the stamp will be prowhile the maj orportion s2 of the stamp will still be held against the stamp carrying face of the suction head by theexerted suction.

nachten While one face of a stamp may have an adhesive ap lied thereto in any suitable manner, or t rough any suitable mechanism, in the present instance 1 have shown one arrangement which 1 will now briefly de scribe. 1 This adhesive applying device, which is indicated as 'a whole by the letter F, comprises a aste pan 68 mounted on suitable standar s 69 carried by the frame 'and the adhesive, which is shown at 70, may be in the nature of paste, glue or the like. The numeral 71 indicates a main paste roller extending longitudinally of the pan and mounted on a shaft 72, a portion of the periphery of the roller always working in the bath of adhesive while another. portion of the periphery of the roller extends beyond the top of the paste pan,.as shown inFig. 5. The top section 73 of thel pan may be adjusted toward and from the main paste roller 71 by means of an adjusting screw 74.` The main roller 71 is continuously driven in any suitable manner, such as i through the intermeshing bevel gears 75, 76, connected in. driving relation with the shaft 77 in any suitable manner, and this shaft 77 in turn is driven from the sprocket 78 on the shaft 26 through a suitable chain and sprocket connection, as is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. r1`he shaft 77 carries a cam 7 7l adapted to impart a rocking motion to the cam lever 7 9 connected through the shaft 80 with the swinging arms 81. r1`hese arms' 'contiguous with .the adhesive transferring rollers, the outer faces of the stamps will receive a coating of the adhesive, as will be clearly understood by reference to Fig. 6. After the face of each stamp has been so coated it is carried by the suction head, with the suction still maintained, down into the path of the oncoming package in the guideways, as shown in Fig. 5, and as heretofore described. When the adjacent package P contacts with the freed end s of the stamp as shown in said ligure, the continued movement of the conveyer and the suction head will cause the package with the stamp to be brought into contact with the plate 85 of the ironing device Gr, the forwardly curved end 86 of the plate pressing the freed end of the stamp firmly against the end of the package and causing it to adhere thereto. At this time, as shown in Fig. 6, ,the suction head, throughl the rocking of its tubular mentes pipe shaft 53 by the cam 56, starts to rock or move downward toward the package,

, carrying with it the portion s2 of the stamp,

and pasting this major portion of the stamp over the top face of the package, as shown in Fig. 7. At this time the suction is cut off from the head which is on the package and the stamp is of course released and .the suction head which had just dropped and pasted the stamp continues its movement ack toward the magazine in order to receive another stamp, it of course being understood that the suction is removed from the particular suction head from the time it applies the stamp to a package until it is again almost directly beneath the stamp magazine, and that the suction remains on the suction head from the time it is in position to withdraw a stamp from the magazine until it is engaged in applying the stamp to the package.

As the now stamped package is carried along by the conveyer the ironing plate 85 is moved out of the path of the package in any suitable manner, such as by means of a cam 87 mounted on the shaft 26 and operating against a cam roller 88 to rock the arm 89 fast with the shaft 90 which carries the ironer plates, there of course being one ironer plate for yeach operating unit of the machine. When the package has thus been permitted to pass the ironer plate by the downward movement or withdrawal of the latter, such ironer plate is restored to its normal position, ready for the next package, in any suitable manner, such for instance'as by a weight 91 connected through a cord 92 with the arm 89, the normal tendency of the set of weights of the present machine being to restore the ironer arms to position in the path of the oncoming packages. A stamped package after passing the ironer device is carried beneath the presser roller 93 connected through the arms 94: with a shaft 95 on which the arms swing and thus the portion s2 of the stamp is firmly pasted down against the package. The continued travel of the conveyer then carries the package to a suitable point ofdischarge.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of my 1nvention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. It will be noted that with this machine a number of packages may have the stamps simultaneously, successively and automatically affixed thereto; these stamps covering one end and one adjacent face of the package.

While I have herein shown and described one particular embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to all the recise details of construction herein set orth by way of illustration, as modification and variation may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for aiiXng a stamp to a package, the combination of a traveling support for a package, means for rendering one face of the stamp adhesive, a traveling device adapted to engage the stamp and carry it to a package on and moving with the support and to project one end portion of the stamp in the path of the oncoming package and apply the remaining portion of the stamp to the uppermost wall of the package, and coperating means for engaging and af- Ifixing the projected end of the stamp to the A oncoming package and applying the remaining portion of the stamp to the uppermost wall of the package, and coperating means for engaging and pressing the projected end portion of the stamp against the end wall of the package.

3. In a machine for aifixing a stamp to a package, the combination of a support for the package, means for rendering one face of the stamp adhesive, a traveling suction device having a rocking member adapted to engage a stamp and carry it to the package and apply a portion of the stamp to one wall of the package, and cooperating means for applying another portion of the stamp to another wall of the package.

4. The combination with a horizontally traveling support adapted to carry a series of packages in spaced relation, of a stamp magazine located above the support, a stamp moistening device also located above the support but below the magazine, and a rotary suction device located directly beneath the magazine and contiguous to the moistening device and adapted to rotate in a vertical plane, said suction device in its rotation being designed to select stamps from the magazine, to bring the same into contact with the stamp moistening device to render a face of each stamp adhesive and to apply the stamps one to each package carried by the traveling support as such packages are brought into the operating zone of the suction device.

5. In a machine for aiixing stamps to packages, the combination with a package receptacle, of a horizontally disposed conveyer traveling therebeneath and adapted to carry a series of packages in spaced relation from the receptacle, a vibrating stamp magazine located above the conveyer, a stampmoistening device also located above the conveyer but beneath the magazine, a rotating suction device 'adapted in its rotation to select stamps from the magazine and to bring the same into contact with the stampmoistening device to render a face of each stamp adhesive and to apply portions of the stamps to the top walls'` of the packages carried by the traveling support, and a device projecting into the path of travel of the packages and adapted to aiix end portions of the stamps to contiguous ends of the packa es.

gG. In a machine for aiixing a stamp to a package, the combination with a traveling support for the package, of means for rendering one face of the stamp adhesive, a rotary suction device carrying a rocking suction head adapted to engage a stamp and i carry it to the package on the supportand apply a portion of the stamp to one Wall of the package, and an ironing device located adjacent the support and `adapted to affix an end portion of the stamp to an end wall of the package at an angle to the irst mentioned wall.

7. ln a machine for aftiXing a stamp to a package, the combination with a support for the package, of means for rendering one face of the stamp adhesive, a traveling suction device adapted to engage a stamp and carry it to the package and apply a portion of the stamp to one wall of the package, a lcooperating ironing device adapted to engage another portion of the stamp and apply the same to an end wall of the package, and a presser device adapted to press against a portion of the stamp applied to the package by the suction device.

8.A ln a machine for afiixing a stamp to a package, the combination with a traveling support for the package, of means for ren-- dering one face of the stamp adhesive, a vibrating magazine for containing the stamps, a rotary suction device having a rocking suction head adapted to remove a stamp from the magazine and carry the saine under suction to a contiguous package onthe traveling support and to apply a portion of such stamp to a wall of the package, an ironing device adaptedv to apply an end portion of the stamp to another Wall of the package at an angle to the rst mentioned Wall, and means for moving the ironing device into and out'of the path of the package traveling on the support.

9. In a machine for affixing stamps to packages, the combination with a traveling support adapted to convey packages successively and in spaced relation, of a movable stamp holding magazine, a movable suction device adapted to remove a stamp from the magazine and aiiix a ortion of such stamp to one wall of a contiguous package on the Lacasse mg on the support and to a x an end portion of the stamp to an end Wall of the package,

the last said device z.

and means for moving out of the Apath of the package after the end wall of the same has been axed.

10..'lhe combination with a package receptacle, of a traveling conveyer moving beneath the same, means on the conveyer adapted to carry a plurality of packages from the receptacle and in spaced relation, a vibrating magazine adapted to contain a pile of stamps, a rotary suction device located beneath the magazine and including a hollow spider having radially extending tubular arms and rocking suction heads carried by the arms, said suction heads being adapted to remove the stamps one at a time from the magazine and to carry said stamps to and aix portions of the same upon the top Walls .of the packages successively presented by the traveling support, coperating mechanism projecting into the path ot travel of the conveyer for contacting with and aiiXing the end portions of the stamps to the contiguous ends of the packages, and means for applying and removing suction from the spider and the heads at predetermined times.

11. The combination with a traveling conveyer adapted to carry a plurality of rows of packages, the packages of each row bev ing maintained in spaced relation, of a plurality of stamp holding magazines mounted above the conveyer, a traveling suction device including a plurality o rotary members', eachA member having a plurality of movable suction heads adapted to successively remove stamps from an associated magazine and to aix Y portions of such stamps to the top walls of packages presented by the conveyer, rocking ironing devices adapted to apply the front endportions of the stamps to the adjacent end walls of the packages, and means for applying and removing suction to and from theA suction device at predetermined times.

12. ln a machine for afXing a stamp to a package, the combination with a support for the package, of a stamp-holding magazine, a rotary suction device located between the magazine and the support, and adapted lto take a stamp from the magazine and apply the same to the top wall of the package o'n the support, a stripping device located" between the support and the magazine and adapted to strip an en d portion of the stamp from the suction device just before the latter applies the sta-mp to the package, and a coperating mechanism for aiiixing the freed end portion of the stamp to the adjacent end Wall of the package.

13. ln a machine for axing a stamp to a package, the combination with a support for the package, of a stamp-holding magazine located thereabove, a rotary suction device rotating in a vertical plane between the magazine and the support and adapted to take a stamp from the magazine and apply a portion of such stam to the uppermost wall of a package on t e support, said suction device including a stamp carrying suction head rocking in a socket bearing, a stripping device located in the path of travel of the suction device and adapted to strip an end portion of the stamp from the suction device before the latter applies the stamp to the package, and coperating mechanism for atlixing the freed portion of.

the stamp to the adjacent end wall of the package.

14. In a machine for aixing a stamp to a package, the combination with a support for the package, of a stamp-holding magazine, a traveling stamp carrying device located between the magazine andthe support and adapted to take a stamp from the magazine and apply a portion of such stamp to the uppermost wall of a package on the support, a stripping device located between the support and the magazine and in the path of travel of the stamp carrying device and adapted to strip an end portion ofl the stamp from the stamp carrying device before the latter applies the stamp to the ackage, and coperating mechanism for a Xing the freed end portion of the stamp to the adjacent end wall of the package.

15. The combination with a traveling conveyer adapted to carry a plurality of rows of packages, the packages of each row being in spaced relation, of a plurality of vibrating stamp holding magazines mounted above the conveyer and a traveling suction device located between the stamp holding magazine and the conveyer and including a lurality of rotary members, each member liaving a plurality of rocking suction heads adapted to remove stamps from an adjacent magazine and to aiix such stamps to contiguous packages on an adjacent section of the conveyer, and means for simultaneously applying and removing suction from all of the suct1on devices.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LORENZO M. MULET.

Witnesses:

A. H. NOBLE, J. MONAGAS, Jr. 

